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3.94 AVERAGE
3.94 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
thank you so much to first ink books and pride book tours for sending me a copy of this book and for letting me be part of this tour!!
legend of the white snake is a fantasy read set in ancient China, where we follow Xu Xian and Zhen (YES WE GET A DUAL POV😩)
Prince Xian’s mother has been condemned to a slow, painful death because she was bitten by a white snake and the only cure is a spirit pearl or an antidote created by the white snake itself. therefore, Xian decides to travel to the city of Changle to find this white snake.
Zhen is none other than the white snake Xian is hunting (i’m already giggling and kicking my feet). seven years ago, Zhen had consumed a spirit pearl that gave him the ability to transform into a human.
the moment Xian and Zhen meet, they’re instantly drawn to each other but will Zhen’s true identity tear them apart?
Sher Lee does an amazing job at exploring love, loss, hope, and betrayal. i love Xian and Zhen’s dynamic so much and the way they developed throughout the book. their banter was so much fun and the tension??😮💨😮💨😮💨
the world building was also amazing and i loved learning about the myth of the white snake and seeing how it was embedded in the story!!
legend of the white snake is a fantasy read set in ancient China, where we follow Xu Xian and Zhen (YES WE GET A DUAL POV😩)
Prince Xian’s mother has been condemned to a slow, painful death because she was bitten by a white snake and the only cure is a spirit pearl or an antidote created by the white snake itself. therefore, Xian decides to travel to the city of Changle to find this white snake.
Zhen is none other than the white snake Xian is hunting (i’m already giggling and kicking my feet). seven years ago, Zhen had consumed a spirit pearl that gave him the ability to transform into a human.
the moment Xian and Zhen meet, they’re instantly drawn to each other but will Zhen’s true identity tear them apart?
Sher Lee does an amazing job at exploring love, loss, hope, and betrayal. i love Xian and Zhen’s dynamic so much and the way they developed throughout the book. their banter was so much fun and the tension??😮💨😮💨😮💨
the world building was also amazing and i loved learning about the myth of the white snake and seeing how it was embedded in the story!!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thanks to Netgalley and Macmillan UK Audio for this audio arc.
This is very insta love-y and I think Xian can be a bit of a dick, and also kinda stupid which annoyed me. But maybe it's just because it's classic YA and I could see the plot points coming. I did like Zhen but he was a bit too self sacrificing and tbh probably would've been better without Xian 😅
The overall story was interesting and it was refreshing that the creature he turned into was a snake, as that's not very common in fantasy books. Some parts of it reminded me of Elizabeth Lim's stories but I imagine that's because they're all pulled from similar mythology.
The audio narrators were good but, maybe because it was an arc, the sound quality could've been better.
This is very insta love-y and I think Xian can be a bit of a dick, and also kinda stupid which annoyed me. But maybe it's just because it's classic YA and I could see the plot points coming. I did like Zhen but he was a bit too self sacrificing and tbh probably would've been better without Xian 😅
The overall story was interesting and it was refreshing that the creature he turned into was a snake, as that's not very common in fantasy books. Some parts of it reminded me of Elizabeth Lim's stories but I imagine that's because they're all pulled from similar mythology.
The audio narrators were good but, maybe because it was an arc, the sound quality could've been better.
adventurous
medium-paced
it was good at the beginning but the insta love is not for me and it felt repetitive in parts.
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
"'Someone wise once told me why eachhalf of the yin-yang circle has a small dot of the opposite color. It means thta in every choice, we have to consider the good of the other person in some small way. Only then will things turn out well.'" - Chapter 15, Xian caught Zhen in a lie, and Xian explaining the possible reason for this lie
"'...Someone I care about very deeply once reminded me that the small dot of the opposite color in each half of the yin-yang circle represents the choice to act not just to one's on advantage but in other person's.'" - Chapter 35, Xian mentioning this to his father about Wang's consequences and the reaction behind it (without spoiling this consequence)
I recall seeing the name "Sher Lee" before and remembered that the author wrote one of the cutest books I read last year, Fake Dates and Mooncakes. Originally, I wasn't planning to read Legend of the White Snake because I thought I wasn't a big fan of historical fiction when this book was announced. However, after reading A Crane Among Wolves, I figured I could try a historical Chinese-inspired YA LGBTQ novel.
The story feels like Chinese folklore, but I can't confirm that since I never really learned about these "fables" when growing up. The story starts with the prince of Wuyue on his way back from retrieving a spirit pearl to heal his mother from a white snake bite, he gets ambushed on the way back, and almost drowns to death but gets saved by a snake, who somehow swallows this pearl.
Fast-forward seven years, Xian is still on the hunt for this white snake, and Zhen is aware of the action he took seven years ago, swallowing a spirit pearl to become human. Both find each other and ends up "falling in love" but need to decide to make a sacrifice for each other to "prove their love".
The story is short enough that it doesn't take too much time to understand the plot, but because of the length, there are a few holes within the story that I wish the author elaborated a bit more. For starters, it's assumed that whoever bit XIan's mother is not Zhen, but for some reason, my assumption is the "traitor" of the story did it, because of the desire of the spirit pearl. Another would be having Deng's appearance cut very short, only appearing four times and not "repaying" back Zhen.
However, despite these incomplete subplots, I did enjoy the ending and the epilogue didn't need to e an epilogue, as it was a continuous of the story, but a way to wrap it up in a nice package.
Lastly, I did want to make a note for my future self about the jiăo bēi. I've seen this in action before but never really understood the meaning/tradition behind it. (This explanation is in Chapter 25.)
- One yin, one yang: shèng jiăo, the answer of sagehood; the deities were in favor
- Two yang: xiào jiăo, the answer of derision; the deities were laughing in scorn
- Two yin: nù jiăo, the answer of fury; the deities were displeased
My heart! Sher Lee you broke it and put it back together. I loved the debut book Fake Dates and Mooncakes by the author and couldn't wait to read this one. Sher Lee is not going to disappoint you.
Step into a world of myth and magic with Sher Lee's enchanting novel, Legend of the White Snake. This book weaves ancient folklore with contemporary storytelling, creating a captivating tale that is both timeless and fresh.
Top 5 reasons that you need to read this book:
~ Lee's writing is lush and poetic, breathing new life into an age-old legend while exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle between duty and desire.
~ It is a mesmerizing read for anyone who loves folklore, fantasy, and romance. It also has me shedding tears. What an emotional ride!
~ Xu Xian and Zhen's love story is filled with trials and tribulations, set against the backdrop of mystical China and rich with cultural references.
~ The secondary characters were amazing and each of them played it so well.
~ There are twists and turns that will keep you hooked. It is all just beautifully done.
Favourite Quotes:
Step into a world of myth and magic with Sher Lee's enchanting novel, Legend of the White Snake. This book weaves ancient folklore with contemporary storytelling, creating a captivating tale that is both timeless and fresh.
Top 5 reasons that you need to read this book:
~ Lee's writing is lush and poetic, breathing new life into an age-old legend while exploring themes of love, sacrifice, and the eternal struggle between duty and desire.
~ It is a mesmerizing read for anyone who loves folklore, fantasy, and romance. It also has me shedding tears. What an emotional ride!
~ Xu Xian and Zhen's love story is filled with trials and tribulations, set against the backdrop of mystical China and rich with cultural references.
~ The secondary characters were amazing and each of them played it so well.
~ There are twists and turns that will keep you hooked. It is all just beautifully done.
Favourite Quotes:
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
a queer retelling of a traditional chinese folktale with a lot of heart
it was fun to read, emotional at points, and i even cackled aloud at some of the humor. i never felt bogged down with worldbuilding or info dumping, and i loved the descriptions. it was also cool to have a lot of chinese sayings interspersed throughout.
i don't know the original story, but the pacing held up well throughout and the story never felt cliche or predictable.
an overall enjoyable read!
it was fun to read, emotional at points, and i even cackled aloud at some of the humor. i never felt bogged down with worldbuilding or info dumping, and i loved the descriptions. it was also cool to have a lot of chinese sayings interspersed throughout.
i don't know the original story, but the pacing held up well throughout and the story never felt cliche or predictable.
an overall enjoyable read!
Disclaimer: I received a review copy for free via Netgalley and the author, and am voluntarily leaving my honest thoughts. Many thanks to the author and the publisher for the opportunity!
I discovered the wonderful world of danmei earlier this year thanks to my friends, and know only a little bit of the legend of the white snake this story was based off of, so I was so excited to read a novel that would give me danmei vibes! I really enjoyed all the story beats and themes with family, duty, equilibrium, and a lot of the characters here too. I also have to say that I really enjoy Sher Lee's writing style here because this book was just so easy to consume and gobble up!!
And Sher also did a great job with taking the original story and making it into a super cute YA queer retelling with a lot of heart. There were some twists and turns I didn't expect in the story overall, which made this even more fun!!
Xian and Zhen were so adorable together and their dynamic & journey was so fun to read. On top of that, their individual character development was well-explored too. The pacing worked out really nicely for a standalone, and while I greedily wish we got some more, I think things would've been too drawn out for the worse if it did.
A really great YA danmei-like standalone experience!
I discovered the wonderful world of danmei earlier this year thanks to my friends, and know only a little bit of the legend of the white snake this story was based off of, so I was so excited to read a novel that would give me danmei vibes! I really enjoyed all the story beats and themes with family, duty, equilibrium, and a lot of the characters here too. I also have to say that I really enjoy Sher Lee's writing style here because this book was just so easy to consume and gobble up!!
And Sher also did a great job with taking the original story and making it into a super cute YA queer retelling with a lot of heart. There were some twists and turns I didn't expect in the story overall, which made this even more fun!!
Xian and Zhen were so adorable together and their dynamic & journey was so fun to read. On top of that, their individual character development was well-explored too. The pacing worked out really nicely for a standalone, and while I greedily wish we got some more, I think things would've been too drawn out for the worse if it did.
A really great YA danmei-like standalone experience!